Modesty Versus Stigma: International Perceptions of Muslim Women's Clothing

Abstract

For far too long Muslim women have been targeted mainly for the way they are dressed. Their clothing is normally loose fitting, not see through or they do not wear the clothing designed for men. Many of them also wear hijab or some style of head covering or headscarf. These coverings have other names such as: burqa, niqab and chador. They wear the fore mentioned clothing as a form of modesty from unrelated men and obedience to Allah. They are directed by Allah (Almighty GOD) to dress in this fashion. Allah says, “And tell the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment, except that which appears thereof, and must wrap their bosoms with their shawls, and must not expose their adornment, except to their husbands or their fathers or the fathers of their husbands, or to their sons or the sons of their husbands, or to their brothers or the sons of their brothers or the sons of their sisters, or to their women, or to those owned by their right hands, or male attendants having no (sexual) urge, or to the children who are not yet conscious of the shames of women. And let them not stamp their feet in a way that the adornment they conceal is known. And repent to Allah O believers, all of you, so that you may achieve success.” (Quran 24:31) There are established worldwide policies or laws that forbid or prohibited Muslim women from dressing the way they are commanded by Allah. The research design was exploratory allowing for the flexibility needed for this study. The study’s method was qualitative from secondary data through a literature review and conducted standardized questionnaires. Collected reviewed literature and random completed constructed standardized questionnaires by 6 Muslim women and 4 Muslim men had presented an array of viewpoints regarding how they were treated just based on their dress.